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Gospel: John 20: 19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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If I asked you to draw a picture of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like?
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In the Gospels, the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove – a gentle, peaceful bird. Maybe that’s what first came to mind for you.
In the Acts of the Apostles, the Spirit is represented by tongues of fire.
A bird versus fire. Quite the difference!
The Irish wisely merge the two together. Often, they depict the Holy Spirit as a goose, a wild bird with fire in its belly.
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Geese are feisty animals who wander wherever they will. If you try to box them in, they’ll bite! Your only warning before that painful pinch is a loud, jarring HONK! HONK!
Loosely translated, it means something like, “Hey! Outta my way!”
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Like a feisty goose, the Holy Spirit moves wherever it wills. And when it bites, you know it!
You become like the God you represent – as peaceful as a dove, but as noisy, protective, and passionate as a goose. There’s fire in your belly!
Honk! Honk!
Impossible to ignore.
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Think of the difference in Saint Peter, before and after he receives the Holy Spirit.
In today’s Gospel, we first encounter Peter hiding with the other Apostles somewhere in Jerusalem. Reports are surfacing that Jesus may be alive again. He’s already appeared to some of them.
Yet Peter’s terribly afraid of being discovered in public. He’s still stuck on the horrific nature of Good Friday. There’s no doubt Jesus was laid in a tomb. But alive again? How could that be?
Suddenly, the Risen Lord appears to Peter and says, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus breathes on him, and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Suddenly, Peter bursts out of the cell he’s hiding in – both physically and spiritually – like a wild goose with fire in his belly. Leaving his chains of fear behind, he re-enters Jerusalem, seeking out the same people who put Jesus to death.
In his first public sermon on Pentecost Sunday, Peter cries out, “Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God… This man you killed, using lawless men to crucify him…. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.”
Then Peter exhorts the crowds, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you!”
He wants them to receive the Holy Spirit – the same wild goose – who’s transformed his life.
There’s no other logical reason for this dramatic change in Peter’s behavior. He’s seen the Risen Christ and received the power of the Holy Spirit.
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In baptism, everyone receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. But has the Spirit been awakened within me?
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Anyone who’s filled with the Holy Spirit has an easily identifiable trait: enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm comes from the Greek, en theos, meaning, “God within.”
In Peter’s case, this enthusiasm is revealed by his fiery preaching; his zeal to spread the Gospel message; and his inner transformation from fear to freedom.
In Saint Paul’s case, his enthusiasm is revealed by his courage and perseverance. Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and left for dead multiple times. But he never stopped proclaiming the Gospel. It was like a fire in his bones. He couldn’t hold it in!
Maybe you experience this enthusiasm differently. Perhaps it’s that fire within that inspires you to cook in our soup kitchen, to bake for our café, to participate in parish ministry; to intercede for others.
Or the energy you find deep within to do a thousand little things for your family and children without complaint, or sometimes recognition.
Maybe it’s that calming peace that allows you to undergo trial or suffering with patient endurance.
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On this Feast of Pentecost, we pray for the Holy Spirit to remain with us always. (Please bow your head and pray for God’s blessing).
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall renew the face of the earth… The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
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Image credits: (1) My Friend Callie, WordPress (2) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (3) Altar of the Chair, Bernini, St. Peter’s